Panel carrier



y 1941- R. N. GEFFROY PANEL CARRIER Filed March 8, 1959 INVENTOR P44 P//N fiffifieex' BY ma W ATTORNEYS- Patented May 20, 1941 PANEL CARRIERRalph N. Geffroy, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Mastic AsphaltCorporation, South Bend, Ind,

a corporation of Indiana Application March 8, 1939, Serial No. 260,556

12 Claims.

This inventionrelates to panel carriers, and particularly to a carrierfor a panel of insulation board or the like and employed in an apparatusfor treating or processing such panel, such as that disclosed in theco-pending application of Gilbert J. Snyder, Ser. No. 260,554, filedMarch 8, 1939.

In rapid handling of large numbers of insulation boards in quantityproduction for dipping to substantially uniformly coat the same, and forpreheating and drying the same, as in apparatus of the type shown in thesaid Snyder application, various requirements as to the panel carrierexist. Thus, the carriers must (a) be adapted for automatic manipulationto grip and to release the boards or panels; (b) they must be adapted tohold a large number of panels in spaced juxtaposed position; they musthave operating or control parts located to be clear of the material intowhich the panels are dipped; (d) they must grip the panels to expose allsurfaces thereof for coating; and (6) they must be maneuverable toaccommodate movement of the panels in an undulating path withoutaltering points of contact with the panel.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide asimple carrier construction meeting the above requirements.

A further object is to provide a carrier having a normal spring pressedposition in reference to a support and shiftable from said normalposition against the action of said spring.

A further object is to provide a carrier comprising a head carryingjuxtaposed fixed and rotatable members having gripping members at theirlower ends, and means adjacent said head for rotating the rotatablemembers and their gripping members.

A further object is to provide a carrier having depending grippingelements engaging restricted points of a panel, and means for preventingsaid panels from tilting.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the carrier.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carrier.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view, with parts shown in section,illustrating the gripping elements of the rotatable members of thecarrier.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view, with parts shown in section,illustrating the gripping elements of the stationary members of thecarrier.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral l designates a conventional roller chainconstituting a conveyor and adapted to roll on and be positioned by aguide such as angle iron -2. Two chains in parallel spaced relation areemployed, each having an independent guide, and said guides being ofcomplementary form whereby corresponding points on each chain and guideare transversely aligned and of equal elevation.

The carriers 9 extend transversely between and are secured to conveyorchains l. Each of the chains I has a plurality of ears Ill projecting atthe inner side thereof in spaced relation, with ears on the respectivechains transversely aligned. Upon ears in rest the reduced ends II of arigid transverse bar l2. Ends II each have a tapered opening l3 formedtherein through which a bolt !4 extends vertically with a loose fit. Acoil spring encircles each bolt l4 above end H and supports a washer l6upon which thebolt head rests. A nut l1 retains the bolt I4 in operativerelation.

A plurality of rigid arms l8 depend from bar l2 in equally spacedrelation. The intermediate arms l8 have bifurcated lower end portionsl9. Set screws are adjustably threaded in the lower ends of the outerarms l8 and in each fork of the lower portions [9 of the intermediatearms. Centrally between each pair of adjacent arms I8 is journaled adepending arm 2| having a cross head 22 at its lower end substantiallyhorizontally aligned with set screws 20. A pair of rollers 23 isjournaled at each end of each cross head 22 by means of a rivet 24 orthe like parallel to arm 2|. The rollers 23 project beyond the outerends of cross head 22. Circular plates or flanges 25 are fixedly securedto the intermediate arms I8 and to each rotatable arm 2l' intermediatethe length thereof in horizontal alignment and concentric thereto.Flanges 25 are of a diameter to provide spaces therebetween somewhatgreater than the spacing between opposed rollers 23 and set screws 20. Aplurality of cross bars are each rigidly connected to the projectingupper end of a rotatable arm 2| above bar l2. The cross bars are roupedin complementary sets at the opposite ends of bar I2. The outer crossbar 26 of each pair is pivoted at 21 intermediate its ends to a link 28,to which all bars of one group are connected. At the end of each outercross bar 26 opposite arm H is journaled a perpendicular roller 29. Theintermediate cross bar 30 of each group is connected to its arm 2|intermediate its ends. One end of cross bar 30 is pivotally connected at3| to link 28. An elongated coil spring 32 interconnects the oppositeends of the intermediate cross bars 30 of the two groups. The innercross bar 33 of each group is short, and serves merely for pivotalconnection at 34 with link28.

In normal condition, spring 32 urges cross heads 22 on arms 2| intosubstantial alignment, with links 28 engaging bar I2 to limit springurged rotation of arms 2|. Elongated cam bars 36 are rigidly positionedadjacent guides 2 adjacent the feed and discharge ends of the device inwhich the carriers are employed for engagement by rollers 29 to equallyrotate all arms 2| to releasing position. Also, at the feed end of thedevice, similar cams may be provided for engagement by the rollers forthe purpose of positively rotating arms 2| to operative locking orgripping position.

, rier on said conveyor extending transversely The carrier is adapted togrip panels of various thickness by virtue of the adjustability affordedby screws 2B. These screws, together with the rollers 23, constitute theonly elements which contact the panel, and the contact of each with thepanel is substantially a point contact, so that the entire surface ofthe panel gripped therebetween is exposed for coating when carried intoa dipping tank. In this connection, note that the spaced relation ofarms [8 and 2| from the panel accommodates such point contact atsubstantially the center of the panel without interfering with thesurface coating. Also, in order to prevent lateral tilting of the panelswhen centrally gripped at such restricted points, the

flanges, 25 on arms l8 and 2| are employed, with the spacingtherebetween slightly greater than the panel thickness so as not tointerfere with coating under normal conditions, but preventing tiltingof the panels to an angle at which the panels touch.

Where the carriers are employed to carry small panels, one carrier onlyis required to support the panel. However, in cases where elongatedpanels, of the type conventionally employed to form siding, are to becarried, two juxtaposed carriers an end thereof. In such cases,especially where the chains I travel in a vertically undulating path,the construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is important to permit thecarriers to pivot or shift from normal perpendicular relation to thechains in order to maintain the spacing between the points of contact ofthe two carriers with the panel ,while the chains travel along curvedportions of guides 2. In this way the points at which the panel aregripped remain constant and danger of damage to the panel as wouldresult from relative movement of the panel and the gripping screws 20which penetrate slightly into thereof comprising a head, a fixed memberdepending from said head and normally substantially perpendicular tosaid conveyor and to said head, a depending member juxtaposed to andspaced from said fixed member and journaled in said head about an axissubstantially parallel to said fixed member, a laterally projectinggripping element at the lower end of said journaled member, and a springnormally positioning said journaled member with said gripping elementextending therefrom in the direction of said fixed member inarticle-clamping relation to said fixed member.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, and a roller journaled on theend of said laterally projecting element.

3. The construction defined in claim 1, and a contact member connectedwith and extending laterally from said journaled member and spaced fromsaid head for operating said journaled member.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein said conveyor includesaflat element supporting and loosely connected with a fiat portion ofsaid head by means including a spring normally pressing said head intoface engagement with said fiat element.

5. The combination with a pair of spaced conveyors each having aprojecting part, of an elongated head carried by and extending betweensaid parts, an elongated securing member loosely interconnecting saidhead and part and projecting thereabove, a coil spring encircling andretained by said securing member and bearing on said head, and aplurality of clamping elements depending from said head.

6. The combination with a conveyor, an elongated transverse head carriedby said conveyor,

the panel, isavoided. In order to accomplish this carrier pivot, thespring 32 must be stronger than springs 5 at the pivot, since thepanelitself servesto transmit the pivoting force.

Another feature of the construction of great practical importance isthat, except for the journals of rollers 23, all journals and allcontrol ele- 1. The combination with a conveyor, of a cara plurality offixed fingers depending from said head in spaced relation, a dependingfinger journaled in said head between each pair of adjacent fixedfingers, clamping elements carried by the lower ends of said fingers,means interconnecting groups of journaled fingers at opposite ends ofsaid head and engageable with said head to limit rotation of saidfingers in one direction, and a spring interconnecting said last namedmeans to normally urge the same into engagement with 7 said head.

7. The construction defined in claim 6, and a contact carriedby one ofsaid connecting means in projecting relation thereto and adjacent one ofsaid conveyors.

8. The combination With a conveyor, of an article carrier mounted onsaid conveyor and comprising a head and a pair of juxtaposed spacedclamping members carried by said head and extending at an angle to saidconveyor and to said head, one of said members being fixed and the otherbeing rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to said fixed member,at least said rotatable member having a lateral projection, and meansnormally urging said rotatable member to clamping position withsaidlateral projection extending in the direction of said fixed member.

9. The combination defined in claim 8, and an elongated member adjacentsaid conveyor and engageable by said rotatable member for roand having alaterally projecting part at its lower end, the other member beingjournaled in said head on an axis parallel to said fixed member andhaving a laterally projecting part adjacent the projecting part of saidfirst member, and means normally urging said rotatable member toposition with its projecting part substantially aligned with theprojecting part of said fixed member for gripping a panel between saidparts.

11. The construction defined in claim 10, and a roller journaled on thefree end of the projecting part of one of said members.

12. The construction defined in claim 10, and a collar fixed on eachmember intermediate its length for engagement by said panel upon tiltingthereof.

RALPH N. GEFFROY.

